That One Time I Died
by Rayniekinnz
Summary: 'They said it was no big deal—I was revived immediately, I would be fine. Healthy, happy. But they didn't know what it was like to lose yourself…to die.' Sasuke/Naruto. In-Progress.
1. Chapter 1: Meetings

**Summary: **'They said it was no big deal—I was revived immediately, I would be fine. Healthy, happy. But they didn't know what it was like to lose yourself…to die.'  
**Pairings:** [Future] SasuNaru. ItaKyuu.  
**Category:** Supernatural/Romance/Spiritual  
**Warnings:** Yaoi/Slash. Adult Content: Lemons/Limes. Language. Violence. AU/AR – Noncanon. OOC.

**A/N:  
**_Uchiwa_ - not the clan name, it's the actual fan that represents the clan. It's considered the traditional Japanese hand-fan.

**Ages**:  
Naruto - 23  
Sasuke - 23-24  
Itachi - 28-29  
Parents - 48-52

* * *

** You Remember, Don't You? That One Time I Died  
Chapter One: Meetings**

"It's almost seven…our guests should be arriving soon."

Glancing up from his sword-polishing, a young raven-haired man appraised his lazing brother from across the room. "Business associates of Father? What were they called, again?"

"Namikaze Minato, his wife Uzumaki Kushina and their son Naruto-kun."

"Uzumaki? I've heard that somewhere…"

Itachi paused in his reading, peering at him over the top of his book and raising a perfectly-shaped eyebrow. "He was in that shooting two years ago. They say he died on the operating table and just…came back."

Sasuke gave his brother a cynical frown. "They didn't revive him?"

Shrugging, Itachi turned a page; plum-tipped nails idly tapping the cover of his novel. "The article was vague at best – he got shot in the shoulder and thigh and his heart gave out when they were trying to remove the bullets. Apparently, his heart started again on its own and he woke up a week later."

"That's—"

"Ominous?"

"I was going to say it sounds like the newspaper had a slow day."

"Whatever you say, little brother…"

* * *

He was silent, absently taking pictures of the houses as they passed. His father was rambling on about something or another, but he wasn't particularly interested in being reminded to behave. Come now, he was _twenty-one_. Legal to drink, drive, vote and all that shit.

And not in that order.

"—do you understand, baby?" his mother asked, glancing at him over her shoulder.

He shrugged, camera tumbling from his hands and down his chest, yanking to a stop and held mid-air by the cord attached to the side and looped around his neck.

Minato frowned at him in the rear-view mirror, shaking his head before sighing. "Just don't do anything possibly offensive. This is a really good opportunity for the company."

Rolling his eyes, Naruto checked his phone for what felt like the nth time that hour. There were two new work-related messages from Hinata-chan, though he supposed she didn't expect a response right away seeing as everyone knew he didn't look at anything business-y between 18.00PM on a Friday and 6.00AM on a Monday unless it was direly important. Marking them to be read later, he tapped out of his messages and checked on his pterodactyl egg. Humming happily, Naruto cleaned off the accumulated dirt with a few swipes of his finger and bought a new light-bulb for his incubator.

"Is this it?" his father asked, attracting his attention. "I didn't know the complex was still running…"

"We'll have to get out and walk," his mother frowned. "Come on then, boys."

Naruto blinked, putting his phone under his seat and climbing out of the car. Eyes widening, he took in the architecture with awe.

A medium-height wall surrounded the whole compound, a large twisted metal gate controlling who could come in and out. Between the bars he could see into the complex, rows of beautiful houses and grassy expanses. Right at the back stood a small mansion, the _Uchiwa_ fan carved into the front door and painted in the purest shades of red and white he had ever seen.

"Can I help you?"

Catching up with his parents, Naruto spied a middle-aged man standing by the gate – a sentry, he thought with a small smile. The man was dressed in a plain blue yukata with – amazingly – a katana blade at his side.

"Let them through!" another man called, also inside the compound. "Fugaku-sama is expecting guests."

"My apologies," the sentry bowed his head and gestured for them to follow as he ducked through a door hidden behind the sign that proclaimed who the estate belonged to.

Naruto was itching to take pictures, absolutely thrilled. He had been expecting some boring dinner party filled with statistics and here he was in the middle of history – perhaps equally as boring, he had never been a very good student, but the art and _old_ aura of the buildings was just amazing. Making an effort to control his excitement, he grinned happily at the sentry and trotted after his parents. The walk to the mini-mansion wasn't that long, but his parents didn't seem very impressed.

Puckering his lips in annoyance at their reluctance to take in the beauty around them, he looked at the gardens and the traditional lanterns lighting the outside of each house. The compound was a lot bigger than the outside suggested, he quickly realised, excitement rising. There had to be at least eighty houses – perhaps not all lived in, but the structures were there and had probably housed families in years gone by. And there was still space for little parks and what looked to be some kind of market!

Even if it did turn out to be a boring dinner party after all, he was glad he had caved and agreed to come. Inspiration was bubbling happily beneath the surface, warming him.

* * *

"Namikaze-san, Uzumaki-san – welcome to our home. Please come inside."

Idly glancing around the foyer, he removed his shoes as was polite and followed the dark-haired couple into a pretty living-room after his parents.

"Thank you, Uchiha-san. This is my wife, Kushina, and my son Naruto."

He looked up, finally having a clear-view of the hosts. They were both attractive people in their own right, though the man, Fugaku, was plainer than his traditionally beautiful wife. Mikoto, as he had heard her introduced as, had gorgeous eyes and a friendly smile.

"It's a pleasure to meet you," Naruto smiled genuinely, bowing slightly to the couple. "You have a beautiful estate."

"It's very nice to meet you too, Naruto-kun. Thank you – I'm glad you like it."

Although he was practically forgotten after the initial introductions, Naruto didn't mind as much as he might've in his adolescence. He took the time to study the room and what he could see of the garden through the window, noting the friendly but reserved atmosphere and a slight hum of…_something_ in the house. Magic, he thought to himself with an amused little grin.

It was as they were being served tea that he noticed two young men slipping into the room. They were obviously the Uchiha Brothers – famed for their intelligence, beauty and prominence as martial artists.

The first was the older – or so he assumed. Standing at roughly five foot nine, he was often considered the plainer of the brothers, though Naruto couldn't see why. He was handsome, with silky hair pulled into a low ponytail and the most expressive eyes, charcoal grey, Naruto had ever seen. They were distinctively feline-like, slanting and hooded with long, thick smoky lashes.

He was dressed more conservatively than he would have expected, though he did have an air of icy sophistication around him that made it work.

When he caught a glimpse of the famed heart-breaker Uchiha Sasuke, he understood why his brother was often overlooked appearance-wise. Itachi was beautiful, but Sasuke was striking with his styled inky hair and heated onyx eyes. He looked like he belonged on a magazine cover – preferably Naruto's. His clothes looked as if the gods had draped them on themselves, clinging to his form in all the right places and accentuating his fit body.

Rolling his eyes, Naruto turned away. He liked to appreciate all kinds of beauty, but if Sasuke was anything like the arrogant sod he had heard him to be, they wouldn't get along. A pity too – he'd love to do a photo-shoot with the brothers.

"Ah, let me introduce you to our sons," Fugaku said, putting down his teacup. "This is Sasuke and his older brother, Itachi."

"Oh, Itachi-kun will be joining us for meetings, won't he?" Minato smiled. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Likewise," Itachi inclined his head, briefly surprising Naruto with his smooth, resonating voice. "However, I don't work for the company. Sasuke will be taking over when Father retires."

There was a short, awkward silence in which Naruto could almost hear Fugaku cursing his son's bluntness, but his father broke it and mustered a somewhat embarrassed laugh. "I see, Sasuke-kun, then. I look forward to working with you."

"Thank you, Namikaze-san."

* * *

Dinner was a pleasant affair; the talk wasn't all business and the food was delicious.

"Naruto-kun, was it?" Itachi said, breaking him from his thoughts. "I believe you're an artist?"

"Yes," he smiled, searching charcoal eyes briefly for signs of genuine curiosity. Satisfied, he put his chopsticks down to participate fully. He liked Itachi – his soothing voice, quiet air of contentment and he _especially_ loved his manicured nails. Pleasant Plum with a clear finish.

"I dabble in a bit of everything. How did you know, if you don't mind me asking?"

"I was at your first gallery, actually. Two acquaintances of mine often invite me along if they think I might like to invest – we didn't get to meet, sadly. I did buy one of your pieces, though."

"The _Kyuubi no Kitsune_?"

He felt his heart give a little jolt and blinked, wondering where the hell that had come from.

Surprise flashed across the man's face, followed by something like apprehension and amusement. They had the whole tables attention now, his parents gazes particularly insistent.

"The exact one. You paint beautifully."

Blood rose in his cheeks and Naruto hid a smile behind his water glass. "Thank you, Itachi-san. I'm honoured."

"You painted the gorgeous fox?" Mikoto asked, awed. "And you're so young, too! If I had known you were so close by, I would have insisted Itachi contact you. We're due for a family portrait and I just _know_ you'd capture my vision."

"R-really? Oh, wow…I don't know, I've only ever really painted fictional characters…"

"I agree," Fugaku broke it, looking vaguely impressed. "We'd love for you to paint our portrait."

Naruto had to physically retrain himself from gaping and making a fool of himself. He was rather proud of his artistic abilities, but to have a prominent family like the Uchiha want to commission him was just…_mind-blowing._

"I—well, if you insist…"

"Oh, lovely!" Mikoto beamed. "We'll have to talk about this in length some other time though, dessert should be out in a moment. Sasuke, please pass me that plate."

Nope, _definitely_ not some boring dinner party.

**TO BE CONTINUED…**


	2. Chapter 2: Hinata

**A/N: FF kept taking out their e-mail addresses, so sorry it looks so strange.**

* * *

**Chapter Two: Hinata**

Humming to himself, Naruto exited the elevator and turned on the main lights. He shrugged off his jacket and hung it on the rack – kindly donated by one of his neater employees – and headed for his office. It was right against the left wall, smack bang in the middle of the floor and looking out over the city.

It was expensive renting a whole floor, but he was always bringing in new employees and the extra space was never empty for long. He had over fifty underlings and since his company dealt with graphic, interior and any other kind of design, they needed as much room as possible – especially when they had customers coming in.

Flicking his office light on, he kicked off his shoes and flopped down at his desk-chair before sliding it towards the large window to pull the blinds up. It was early, probably only going on six, but he had learned quite quickly that owning a business was hard work and he couldn't slack off like he had done in school.

Supressing a yawn, Naruto settled back under his desk and plugged his laptop into the company computer. Tapping in his password, he waited for everything to settle down and updates to load before clicking into his e-mail.

"Naruto-kun?"

Looking up, he smiled warmly. Hinata hovered uncertainly in his doorway, coffee in hand and dressed in her usual conservative knee-length skirt and button-up combo. They had gone to the same middle and high school, though they only really became close friends in university – after his…accident. She and her cousin Neji had been his crutches when everyone else seemed to think he had dropped the ball.

"Good morning, Hinata-chan. You're earlier than usual."

She beamed at him, blushing prettily. Her shoes made quiet clacking sounds on the wooden floors as she approached his desk, offering one of the take-away cups before settling in 'her' chair – there was nothing particularly special about it; she just preferred to sit on his right-hand side.

"I had some things to do and figured I'd get a head-start. I got your message about the Uchihas – I'm so happy for you, Naruto-kun!"

"Thanks," he smiled somewhat embarrassedly, rubbing the back of his neck. "Since I don't have much to do next week I was thinking I'd head over then. You'd be okay manning the fort without me, right?"

She flapped a hand, rolling her eyes good-humouredly. "Of course. Father wouldn't be very pleased if I didn't put that degree to use every now and then."  
"_Degrees_, you mean," he snorted, grinning at her over his coffee. "Law, business, psychology…what _aren't_ you an expert in?"

"Well," she said mock-seriously, "I never did complete that seamstress course…"

"Oh, pish posh! You and your sewing needles don't need a piece of paper to tell me whether you can mend clothes or not. You're a lot better than Hana, anyway. Do you remember when she tried to operate on my pants when Akamaru ruined them?"

Giggling, Hinata lifted a hand to her mouth. "Kiba-kun was so embarrassed!"

"Speaking of Kiba, have you seen him recently?" Naruto asked slyly, winking.

She went red immediately, spluttering incoherently for a moment before squeaking and burying her head in her hands. "You helped him!"

"Of course I did! Well, _come on_, tell me!" he whined. "What did you say?"

"_Merrhnjn_!"

"What was that?" he teased. "I didn't quite hear you."

She glared at him through the gaps in her fingers, no doubt pouting. "Yes. I said _yes_."

"Congratulations, Hinata!" Naruto beamed, reaching over the table to take her smaller, much more delicate hand. "I'm so happy for you."

"Thanks, Naruto-kun," she said softly, squeezing back. She had a quietly content expression on her face, subtly painted lips quirking up into a gentle smile. "…does this mean you'll be my maid of honour?"

Snorting in surprise, Naruto had to slap a hand over his mouth to muffle his laughter. "Oh god, the masses would run screaming if I showed up in a dress!"

* * *

When Hinata excused herself to start on her work, Naruto took a few minutes to just appreciate his friendship with the quiet, sincere girl—woman. The month after leaving the hospital had been the worst of his life and returning to university had been the hardest thing he had ever had to do. His friends had all but abandoned him, his parents were unsupportive and the one thing he loved to do had been ripped away from him with the bullet that was imbed in his leg. He had made new friends and got a better hobby – all with the help of the shy girl he had barely paid any attention to. She refused to sit on the side-lines anymore, popping his bubble of anger and self-pity and demanding he finally look at her and see the strong woman she had become.

Hinata had sat with him at lunch, helped him with his studies and went with him to all of his doctor's appointments – and not the medical kind…he was made to see a therapist twice a week for six months after the accident. A therapist who couldn't care less about him or his problems.

Hinata also accepted him for who he was—and had become. She was the first to see the changes and the first to brush them off. Nothing phased her.

It wasn't long after they started hanging out together that Neji joined them. Slowly, with him, came a whole horde of other students. Rock Lee, TenTen, Sakura, Ino, Chōji, Shikamaru, Kiba and Shino…people he had gone to school with and never really gave a second thought.

Somehow, he gained a group of friends he knew would never leave him. With his newfound confidence he would take charge of his life and what he wanted to do when he left university. Art. Photography, painting, sketching, collages, sculpting – he found it all so amazing. Sure, he had drawn in the past, even done a bit of graffiti, but it couldn't even compare to the love he held for it now.

It was amazing how dying changed your life.

* * *

**From**: Uchiha Itachi [ItachiU at Amaterasu. co. jp]  
**To**: Uzumaki Naruto [NarutoU at Rasengan. co. jp]  
**Subject**: Commission

_Naruto-kun,_

_It was lovely being able to meet and speak with you – I had heard you were an especially young artist, but I wasn't disappointed. I was rather impressed, actually, and would love to converse with you again. Mother has put me in charge of the commission, so we'll be speaking quite a bit. I look forward to working with you._

_On the subject, I thought sometime in the next two weeks would be a prudent time to meet and discuss the finer details if that is agreeable with you. You could come over to the house and we could discuss it there, or I was thinking we could go out to lunch. My phone number has been attached below for any inquiries._

_Warm regards,  
Uchiha Itachi_

**TO BE CONTINUED **


	3. Chapter 3: Angel

**A/N: I feel like this is going towards a more ItaNaru ending, but I don't want to change my original pairings :P **

* * *

**Chapter Three: Angel**

Blinking the sleep from his eyes, Naruto stumbled to the bathroom and felt along the wall for the light-switch. Artificial light flooded his senses and he winced, squinting for a moment before getting used to it. He turned the shower on, fiddling with the hot and cold knobs before kicking off his sleep-pants and shuffling across to the toilet to relieve himself.

He spied himself in the mirror and grimaced at the half-asleep expression and sunny-yellow hair that stuck out in every direction except down. Finishing up, he checked the water and climbed into the stall. When he was starting to feel more awake he started washing the length of his body with the spicy-smelling body-wash Kiba had dropped off. He wasn't a particularly fussy person and subsequently didn't like spending money on things he could get elsewhere cheaper or for free. His friends often passed along furniture, clothes that had shrunk in the wash and random crap they either didn't know what to do with or bought and didn't like.

Yawning, Naruto deemed himself clean enough and turned off the water. Wrapping a garish orange towel around his waist, he used a smaller one from the same set to squeeze the water from his hair and dry his face. He opened the door to let out the excess steam and moved to the sink, wiping down the mirror before getting his toothbrush from the cup beside the tap and spreading some minty toothpaste onto the bristles.

"You look like a retarded sunflower."

Naruto silently congratulated himself on not biting completely through his tongue. Looming in his doorway and looking very much like the fearful demon he was rumoured to be was his free-loader and sort of maybe friend, Kurama, also known as the Kyūbi no Kitsune. He was over six feet tall with a perfectly proportional body and long blood-red hair that was currently held back in a high ponytail. He had sharp, beautiful features with longer-than-normal eyeteeth and tribal tattoos that covered the majority of his caramel flesh.

Wincing and trying to console his throbbing tongue, he glared fiercely at the redhead through the mirror. "Whath'as 'ats fah?!"

Rolling his eyes, Kyuubi crossed his arms and sneered slightly. "I _did_ knock so you would have enough time to put your cock away, you know, if you weren't such a prude and did that kind of thing. The fact that you didn't hear it over the white-noise in your head isn't my fault."

"White-noise…? Are you saying I'm stupid?!"

"No, I'm just saying you don't think."

"…isn't that the sam—whatever. What do you want?"

"So aggressive. Shouldn't you be a little nicer to me?"

Naruto pointedly ignored him, resuming his teeth-cleaning with a little more…_enthusiasm_ than before. _Stupid fox_, he thought irritably. _I'm not the one who can't figure out how to use the TV remote!_

Well – he supposed that wasn't stupidity…just an inability to understand modern machinery. He could sympathise – when you've been living in a void for the last few centuries, you get a little behind on the evolution of technology. Still, he wasn't above bringing it into their arguments.

After a long moment of harsh brushing and glaring at nothing in particular, he huffed and gave in. "What? I thought you were hibernating or something."

Kyuubi scowled. "Haha, very funny. Animals hibernate in winter, dipshit."

"Whatever!" he sighed, rolling his eyes. He rinsed his toothbrush and popped it back into its cup, combing his hair next. It had already started to dry so it was harder to handle than usual, but he kept at it until it was relatively acceptable for socialising. He squeezed past the annoyed demon and started searching for something to wear in the pile of laundry on his bedroom floor, sniffing random items to see if they were clean or not.

He picked a semi-formal white button-up and boot-leg dark-wash jeans, hopping around as he tried to shimmy the pants on. Absently, he waited for Kyuubi to speak, knowing if it were important enough he would eventually get over himself and just talk.

As if reading his mind, the demon leaned against the wall and tossed something onto his bed – his mobile phone. "It beeped."

"Oh," Naruto said, tugging on a light blue sweater. Flattening his hair, he flopped down on the double mattress and stuffed his feet into his favourite pair of Timberland boots. "Did you look to see who it was?"

"Hm. That Itachi kid."

Snorting, Naruto glanced up at the redhead. "He's not really a _kid_. He's like, twenty-seven or something. Anyway, what did he say?"

"I only saw what it flashed on the screen. Something at eleven."

"Oh, good. I have enough time to head over to the office then."

Kyuubi trailed after him towards the kitchen, hovering more than usual. Naruto tried to ignore the strange behaviour, absently rubbing his stomach when it tingled. Since he was Kyuubi's only connection to the physical world they were spiritually very close, especially since he gave in and did the ritual that allowed the demon to take on a corporeal form. Their bond was summed up into a swirling tattoo around his navel – the third chakra knot or point, representing power and awakening.

He supposed he had it pretty good, you know, for making a deal with the devil and all that.

"What is it?" he finally asked, hands on his hips. "You're following me around like a lost puppy or something!"

Wrinkling his nose, Kyuubi crossed his arms and peered suspiciously at him. "What are you doing with this 'Itachi'?"

"Having lunch—or brunch, I guess. I told you, I'm doing a commission for a well-known family – his family – and his mom put him in charge."

"I don't like him."

"You haven't met him!" Naruto retorted exasperatedly. "What's wrong?"

"He bought that painting you did of me – don't look at me like that, if you don't want me to overhear don't gossip so loudly. That picture is infused with my energy – _dark_ energy."

"So?" Naruto frowned, brow furrowing. "Maybe he just likes creepy things."

"And maybe he's a fucking psychopath."

"…are you _concerned_ about me?"

Kyuubi bared his teeth warningly, growling low in his throat. "We're still weak. If you die or get close to it, there's a bloody good chance I'll be sent back to the Void for another thousand years."

"I'll keep that in mind," Naruto blithely flapped a hand, gathering his messenger-bag and wallet and phone. "Now, I need to go. Don't chase any cats while I'm gone, okay?"

"_BRAT_!"

* * *

Humming, Naruto scrolled through his messages as he waited for the elevator to get to his floor – the ninth floor. There wasn't anything terribly interesting, just business inquiries, confirmations and one or two chain e-mails from his friends. When the lift _ting_-ed softly, he got off and walked through the little pathways between cubicles on the way to his office. He greeted his employees with a warm smile and cheerful 'hellos', pleased to see everyone was working hard – and enjoying it. There was nothing worse than a silent, grim working atmosphere.

"Naruto-kun? Aren't you meeting with a client?"

Blinking, Naruto spied Hinata peering up at him from her little desk-area. It was directly across from his office and just as big, though she preferred a three-quarter dressing-screen to concrete walls and a door. Pausing just outside the gap in the screens, he lifted his free hand in a salute.

"In a few hours – I'm going to work on the article that design magazine asked me to do. How's it going, Hinata-chan?"

She smiled, setting her reading-glasses aside. "Well. I've arranged a meeting with the _Suna no Sankyōdai_ and I'm busy reading about their individual references. They're all very interesting people."

"That's great!" Naruto exclaimed, excited. "I've been wanting to do a collaboration with them for _ages_!"

"Yes, yes, we all know about your crush on Gaara-san," Hinata teased, flushing slightly in pleasure at being able to put such an animated expression on her friend's face.

Naruto went bright red, but grinned and winked. "Who knows, maybe this could be the start of a _beautiful_ friendship."

Laughing, Hinata perched her glasses on her nose and waved her hand towards his office. "Shoo now, you have an article to write and I have research to continue."

Pouting in mock-hurt, he made a show of huffing and flouncing off. Smiling to himself, he unlocked his door and opened the blinds before flopping into his swirly desk-chair and starting up his computer. It was only eight, so he had plenty of time to work on his article.

_Ooh, solitaire…_

* * *

Multiple games of solitaire, hilarious cat videos and no progress on his article later, he was being led through a pleasantly-busy restaurant by the hostess. It was a nice, semi-formal place with a red theme and polite, unrushed staff. The hostess stopped beside a booth set against the floor-to-ceiling windows, placing two menus on the table – though, he had a feeling the second was there for appearances only. Uchiha Itachi was known for investing in many different companies from food to clothes-peg manufacturers, so there was an eighty-five percent chance he owned a portion of the restaurant and therefore knew exactly what there was to choose from.

He sat down, smiling at the light-haired woman. "Thank you – Misaki-san?"

"You're welcome," she said pleasantly, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear. "Uchiha-san and a server will be with you in a moment."

"No problem," he said, flashing another smile before picking up the leather-bound menu. He browsed the drinks section after checking they served ramen, feeling rather comfortable with the buzzing conversations around him. He paused in his reading when he heard light footsteps stop at his booth, blue eyes meeting charcoal. Itachi smiled, this one more genuine then he remembered from the dinner party.

"Naruto-kun, it's good to see you again."

"You too," he replied, standing to shake his hand.

Itachi sat down directly across from him, expression pleasantly vacant as he opened his own menu and perused the contents. "I was pleased we could meet again so soon – you must be terribly busy with your art and position in _Rasengan_."

"No more than I can handle," he said, placing his elbow on the table and propping his chin on a fist. "It's been a slow month though, so far. It'll be nice to have something other than paperwork and articles to do. What about you, Itachi-san?"

"Ah, my current occupation is quite flexible."

"What do you do?" Naruto asked curiously. "Other than investing and stock-watching, of course."

"Stock-watching?" Itachi smirked, amused. He shrugged his shoulders gracefully, folding his menu and setting it aside. "I manage finance and take on the odd editing job every now and then. Nothing too exciting – one of the reasons I like to keep myself busy with art and sports."

Naruto opened his mouth to ask about the sports, but was interrupted by the arrival of a pretty dark-haired server.

"Good afternoon, my name is Haku and I'll be attending to you today. Have you decided on a beverage?"

"Jasmine tea, please," Itachi said, glancing towards him. "Naruto-kun…?"

"A standard coffee, please. Cold milk."

Haku nodded, smiling, and scribbled it down. "Would you like to order your food now or do you need some more time?"

"No, now is fine. I'll have a bowl of your miso ramen with extra pork, please."

"I'll have my usual," Itachi said, stacking their menus and handing them to Haku. "Thank you, Haku."

"My pleasure. I'll be back soon."

When Haku was gone, they turned back to each-other. Naruto blinked, trying to remember their conversation. "Oh! What kind of sports do you like?"

"With the way you're interviewing me, I'd think we were on a date," Itachi replied slyly, mouth quirking into a tiny smile. "But, if you _must_ know, I quite like baseball and, of course, martial arts. I did some cross-country in high-school, too."

Naruto's face blazed at the mention of the 'date', but he forgot about it soon enough. Itachi was extremely easy to talk to, and he was swept into the conversation without much effort. "Baseball? I was on the team at school! What position do you like best?"

**TO BE CONTINUED…**


	4. Chapter 4: The House

**Chapter Four: The House**

Naruto was walking on clouds. He locked his door behind him and kicked off his shoes, dropping his messenger-bag onto the sofa as he passed. The kitchen light was on, but the rest of the flat was dim with the telly playing in the background.

Smiling to himself, he hummed softly and locked everything up before going to his bedroom. Kyuubi was lazing on the bed reading a book he had found god-knows-where, briefly looking up at him before returning to his story.

"You look happy."

Rolling his eyes at the disgruntled tone, Naruto shrugged off his coat and started undressing for bed. "It was great! Itachi-san is a really interesting person."

Eyebrows raised, Kyuubi lowered the book to give him his full attention. "You were with that boy the whole time?"

"Well, no. I worked until eleven and then we met for lunch. He told me about a gallery in town he was going to and we split up and met again at five for the opening."

"A gallery?"

Naruto pulled on a pair of sleeping pants and threw his worn-clothes onto the pile in the corner of the room. "Mm. It was really cool! Sculptures and stuff. Scoot over, you're hogging the bed."

Grumbling, the demon rolled over and got under the duvet too. The lights were clicked off and they got comfortable beside each-other. Naruto had offered to get him his own bed, seeing as it was a bit awkward to share his, but Kyuubi had pointed out it would look strange since he didn't have a free room to put it in and his bed was big enough anyway.

"Oh! I met this really cool guy, too!" Naruto exclaimed, practically bouncing up and down. "His name is Haku – he's a cross-dresser! Isn't that awesome?! He works for Itachi at whatever business needs assistance at that time. He agreed to do a photo-shoot with me!"

"Fuck, calm down," Kyuubi growled, covering his right ear. "You're like a bloody girl with those shrieks!"

"Whatever, whatever! I'm excited," Naruto sighed happily, flopping back onto his pillows and watching the shadows on the ceiling. "He's really pretty – prettier than Sakura-chan, even!"

"Prettier than that little bitch?" Kyuubi sounded impressed. "Must be a real vixen. Everyone knows how much you love Pepto-girl."

"Don't be so mean about Sakura-chan!" Naruto shouted, thumping him on the chest before rolling over with an angry huff. "I'm not going to talk to you anymore!"

"You do that."

"…"

"…"

"…are you still awake?"

"No."

"Oh."

* * *

Sighing, Naruto twirled in his chair, staring at the ceiling. He was so _bored_.

He supposed he shouldn't be considering the pile of work on his desk, but all he really wanted to do was draw and his muse had run away as soon as he got his pen out. Bitch.

Feeling a bit ill, he stopped spinning and rolled back under his desk, staring at the computer screen. His mood lifted a bit when he saw the confirmation e-mail from Haku, filling his head with ideas for poses and outfits. He opened a 'New Email' window and typed in his assistant's address.

**From**: Uzumaki Naruto [NarutoU atRasengan. co. jp]  
**To**: Sarutobi Konohamaru [KonohamaruS atRasengan. co. jp]  
**Subject**: Photo-shoot

_Konohamaru,_

_I've scheduled a photo-shoot with a new model in a few days. Please contact Yamanaka Ino and have her arrange the attached outfits/make-up. _

_Thanks,_

_Naruto_

After typing up the list, he sent it off and sat back. He was bored again.

Glancing at his sketchbook, he grabbed his pen and flipped to a new page. Uninspired or not, he hadn't drawn anything in a few weeks. Clicking the pen on, he brought it down to the smooth page and just let it go, doodling and making patterns. Slowly, patterns turned into shapes and those shapes turned into recognisable things: his desk-lamp, a chibi-fox jumping into a bowl of ramen, Hinata's owl pendant and what looked to be the beginning of a pair of eyes.

Vaguely impressed, he was just starting to sketch in the eyelashes when his phone started ringing. Tucking the receiver between his ear and shoulder, he pressed the 'connect' button on the plug-in and said, "Uzumaki Naruto."

"Hello, Naruto-kun."

"Hey!" he exclaimed, a smile spreading across his face. "How's it going, Itachi-san?"

"Well, thank you. Are you working?"

"Yes—well, not really," he said sheepishly. "What's up? You miss me already?"

Itachi chuckled softly, making Naruto smile wider. It was a soothing sound, almost…pretty. "I was wondering if you'd like to come to the complex this afternoon. My mother was looking over the plans we made yesterday and she wants you to pick a room, basically."

"Really?" he said, pursing his lips thoughtfully. "That sounds cool, actually. Normally the client just tells me where to set up…"

"She wants it to be perfect," Itachi said simply and Naruto could almost picture the smile in his voice.

"And it will be," he said confidently. "Is now okay?"

"I'm free until seven, so you can come over at any-time before that. Do you remember the way?"

"Yup. Should I bring anything?"

"I don't think you'll need anything, but feel free to bring whatever you like."

"Alright. I'll see you in a bit, Itachi-san."

"I'll be waiting," was all he said before they were disconnected.

Looking down, Naruto was met with shrewd charcoal eyes.

* * *

Dropping another ramen container into his basket, Naruto decided he was set to go and headed for the till. He had decided to stop by a convenience store on the way to the complex since he hadn't really eaten lunch. While he didn't have time to make the ramen, he would take it home and add it to his little stock. There was never too much.

"That'll be ¥1000," the cashier chirped, handing him the plastic bag containing his purchases.

"Thanks," he said, putting the exact amount of bills on the counter. "Have a good day!"

Whistling, he headed back to his car and got inside, digging around the in the bag for the sandwich and energy drink he had bought. It was still another twenty minutes to the complex, so he had enough time to stuff himself.

When he had unpackaged his food, he pulled onto the highway and put on some music to pass the time. Singing along – rather badly – to a song he had heard almost constantly since it was released, he nearly didn't hear his mobile ringing desperately for his attention.

Swearing under his breath, he turned the music down and snatched the phone from where it sat in the passenger seat. Fumbling with it, he managed to hit 'Accept' and said breathily, "Hello?"

"Naruto? What took so long?"

Groaning silently, he glanced around the unmoving traffic. "I'm driving, mom." _Please, someone kill me!_

"Where are you going? Hinata-chan said you'd gone off on your own again."

_She didn't say that_, he thought irritably. "I'm meeting a client – Itachi-san."

"Itachi-san? Aren't you working for Uchiha-san?"

"She has put him in charge of the project," he said distractedly, inching forwards as the traffic started moving again.

"…I don't like this."

"What?" he frowned, confused. "What's not to like?"

"You, spending time with this b—man. He's a bit strange, no?"

"He's not strange, mom! He's really cool and nice."

"I still don't like this, Naruto. Maybe you should work with his brother instead. He's your age, isn't he?"

To his surprise, anger he hadn't felt since his rebellious teenage years bubbled up inside him. It was irrational, he barely knew Itachi, and yet he felt such a strong response to a seemingly innocent request. Sucking in a deep breath, he tried to ignore the tingling around his abdomen. Kyuubi had sensed him.

"Itachi is my friend," he said firmly. "Uchiha-san put him in charge of the project and Sasuke-san is probably busy with other stuff."

"Friend? Naruto, you've met him once!"

"More, actually," he ground out. "What do you want, mom?"

"Don't talk to me in that tone!" she shouted, before calming somewhat and saying, "Your father and I want to meet with you for dinner."

He made a sharp turn, huffing irritably when he got honked at. "Yeah, okay. I'll call you when I get home."

"Fine," she said softly before hanging up.

Naruto sighed, tossing his phone onto the passenger seat and concentrating on the road. It was always so frustrating dealing with his parents. They had been so close when he was a child, but then he hit puberty and suddenly every conversation was a screaming match and his father just looked at him the wrong way and he was itching for a fight. It only got worse as he got older, even if the screaming had been toned down and he had learned not to punch family members in the face, stomach and/or dick. Every decision he made was the wrong one in their eyes; the 'incident' was a sign of god to turn his life around and apparently he had failed since they couldn't understand how art satisfied him or brought in the bills.

Sometimes he wondered if they hadn't been abducted by aliens.

* * *

Pulling into the short drive outside the complex, he parked towards the side and got out, messenger-bag slung over his chest and energy-drink in hand. Looking around, even more impressed in the natural light, he approached the gate and waved to the sentry. It was the same man from last time. He raised an eyebrow but let him in without any trouble and directed him to the main building.

Taking in the sunny compound and content atmosphere, he was amazed to see people walking about. Obviously he knew other families lived there with the Head, but it had been a graveyard when they came over the first time. Now he saw children playing and women hanging washing or doing some gardening. Most of them turned to watch him, the children pausing in their games and pointing, but he wasn't too bothered. He _was_ a stranger.

Naruto smiled and waved, mood lifting even further when the kids hesitantly and then enthusiastically called greetings to him.

"Are you looking for someone?" a kind-faced woman called out, baby on her hip and washing-basket under her arm.

"I'm meeting with Itachi-san!" he called back, nodding towards the main house where he saw his new friend unlocking the front door. He leaned against the wall and waved when the children noticed him, smiling softly. He looked more relaxed than Naruto could remember, dressed in three-quarter trousers and a matching linen shirt a few shades darker.

"Yo!" Naruto greeted, saluting.

"Naruto-kun," Itachi smiled. "How are you?"

"Great!" he grinned, pulling the flap up off his bag and digging inside for a moment. Coming up, he rather proudly presented Itachi with a packet of pocky.

"…is that…pocky?"

"Yup! You said you liked it, so I bought some when I was at the store earlier," he announced, before noting the stunned expression and faltering. "Er…you don't have to take it…if you don't want to…?"

"No," Itachi said firmly, reaching out to take the box. "I was just surprised…hardly anyone ever remembers I like this stuff…"

Rubbing his neck, Naruto felt his cheeks heat and his smile fortify. "Come on then, let's find a room…"

**TO BE CONTINUED…**


	5. Chapter 5: The House - Continued

**A/N: Sorry for the long wait!**

* * *

**Chapter Five: The House – Continued**

Naruto tried to keep up beside Itachi, but he was practically vibrating he was so excited. When he and his parents had come over for dinner they had only seen the parlour and dining room, so he was seeing the rest of the house – save the bedrooms, of course – for the first time and it was even more beautiful than he had thought.

The outline was very similar to that of the traditional Japanese house, though you could see where it had been changed and renovated over the years – changing with the times. Itachi was a lot quieter than usual, something that worried Naruto a little bit, but whenever he took a peek the older man was smiling softly so he could only assume he was either still stunned about the pocky or he was just allowing Naruto to get on with it without distractions.

They passed many beautiful rooms, but Naruto hadn't found _the_ _one_ yet. He loved that he got to choose the setting and he wanted it to be absolutely perfect – for Mikoto because she was such a sweetheart and for Itachi because he desperately wanted to impress him.

He paused, mentally, emotionally and physically. What? He wanted to _impress_ Itachi? _Desperately?_

He didn't know much about psychology, but that didn't sound particularly healthy. He supposed it was similar to wanting praise from a teacher or older sibling…still, he didn't quite know how to feel.

"Naruto-kun?"

He didn't flinch or stumble away, but his heart gave a little leap and he felt blood rush to fill his cheeks. Itachi was looking at him in concern, hand hovering uncertainly between them. He blinked, before shaking his head and pasting on a watery smile. "Sorry…I got a little distracted. Um, so – what is this room?"

Itachi didn't look convinced, but he dropped the subject. Gently, he lay a hand on Naruto's upper-arm and led him into what seemed to be a sitting-room. It didn't look used at all, most likely just for show with its tatami-mats, a low tea-table that was surrounded by plump crimson cushions and an antique tea-set.

"This was used long ago to host higher-class guests. Obviously, we don't really use it nowadays."

Nodding, Naruto glanced around. It certainly had its merits…the designs on the walls were gorgeous and as he walked deeper into the room, he caught sight of the most amazing view. The windows overlooked a little garden – lush and green, dotted with pink, blue and purple flowers that seemed to be _alive_. A large water-fountain was set up beside a seemingly on-going board-game, the pieces resting in random patterns he didn't care for.

"Do you like it?" Itachi asked, tone soft and…fitting of the awing atmosphere.

"It's beautiful," Naruto breathed, clutching his bag to his side. "…I think this is the one."

"Oh? That's good to hear. Do you have any particular plans?"

"Not any concrete ones. Could I maybe take some photos and then I can study angles and where the best position would be at home?"

"Of course," Itachi nodded. "I just ask that you do not share the pictures. The compound is somewhat of a…mystery to outsiders and we'd like to keep it that way."

Naruto didn't understand, but agreed anyway. It wasn't any of his business. "I'll keep them to myself. Could you wait outside?"

Itachi inclined his head in acknowledgement and backed away and out of the room. Naruto heard him continue down the passage and assumed he would be waiting elsewhere while he worked.

Humming happily, Naruto set his bag just outside the door after retrieving his camera and a notepad. He hung the professional-camera around his neck and flicked to a new page, clicking on his pen and scrawling _'Uchiha Project: Ideas'_ for reference. He stepped back a bit and glanced over the whole room top-to-bottom, idly tapping the corner of his mouth with the butt of his pen.

He gave up after a while and started fiddling with his camera instead. He liked working with the raw materials first, even if planning did make things go smoother. Once everything was set up right, he started taking test-shots and seeing what angles were best and how good the lighting was.

The room was light and open and it showed especially well on film. He took many different pictures, against the walls and then from down below as if he were looking up at some people having tea in _seiza_. Eventually he moved onto the windows, clicking away when he got distracted by the beautiful garden. In the background he spotted a little hut of sorts and intrigued, took a few photos of that too. He could always ask Itachi about it later.

It was as he was studying the hut that he got the most brilliant idea. Extremely excited, he backed away a bit and angled the camera just so—AHA! If they stood in front of the windows at just that time with the sun filtering inside and the birds and plants in the background, he knew it would make for the perfect painting.

"Itachi-san! I think I've found it!"

There were soft foot-falls and then Itachi poked his head around the door before approaching him with a curious light in his eyes. Naruto chattered a mile-a-minute, showing him what he had done so far in terms of photo-taking.

"And look here," he said, hurriedly clicking on his pen and flicking to a new page in his notebook. He sketched out the vague outline of the window and quickly dropped in four rough figures – Fugaku on the left with his hand on Itachi's shoulder, Mikoto beside him and Sasuke directly in front of her and sitting down, both her hands on his shoulders. "What do you think? Do you suppose your mother would like that?"

"From what she's told me, you've got it spot-on," Itachi replied, smirking. "Not a mind-reader, are you?"

He laughed, a little high on his happiness. He loved it when his clients were happy – it automatically sent him into bliss too. "I'm afraid not. I was thinking the best times would be either dusk or dawn, but since I doubt you'd all like to get up at five for a portrait, we'd have to catch the sun at just the right time. I always take photographs because it's easier than making everyone sit for hours, but I'd like to have the scenery right in front of me when I get to the actual colouring and shading. Photographs don't do justice in that regard, I'm afraid."

"I understand," Itachi said. "I'm sure it won't be any trouble at all. Shall we start talking about prices and times?"

He flapped a hand disinterestedly, grinning and winking when he was met with a curious smile. "Y'all can pay me when I'm done – it's my policy unless I've heard the client is a little…unreliable. Times, however, would be great. I can start right away since I'm only working on a few things this month, so whenever you're ready is A-OK with me."

"Are you sure? I wouldn't want you to feel as if you have to put us first…"

"Last month we finished a huge project, so my main team and I are taking it easy for a bit," Naruto assured. "Believe me, this is a great opportunity for me – if I were super busy I would have had to put you on hold even with your…uh, _beauty_."

Itachi laughed and Naruto beamed at him, happy his little joke had been received as intended. He tried to ignore the little voice in his head that said he was getting a little too attached too fast.

* * *

Eventually, he had to leave the compound and Itachi and head home. Itachi walked him to his car and they talked quietly for about five minutes before Naruto started up the engine.

He got home and parked in the communal lot before heading up to his apartment with ramen and work-stuff in hand. He unlocked the door to his place and practically dumped everything in the chair sitting beside the shoe-rack before flopping down on his couch beside Kyuubi who was watching some kind of American talk-show.

"Hey," he greeted lazily, leaning against the old fox and closing his eyes tiredly.

Kyuubi grunted at him, but didn't push him away or berate him for 'treating him like furniture'. A bowl of ready-made popcorn was sitting in his lap and he dipped his hand inside every few minutes to get another handful, crimson-nails flashing in the light.

"Your parents called," Kyuubi told him when the break came on. "They left a message."

Groaning, Naruto flung himself upright and rubbed his face. He had forgotten about promising to have dinner with them.

After figuring out the base-line for his project, he and Itachi had taken tea outside and just chatted for what felt like a small eternity. It was so easy to talk to him and though they didn't go into the heavier topics, he felt as if they did he wouldn't be made to feel as if his opinion was invalid or that he was being silly.

"I suppose I should call them back," Naruto grumbled, getting up to retrieve the land-line. It was just as he was dialling that Kurama seemed to gather his thoughts.

"You smell like a vixen."

"Uh…what?" Naruto said, more than a little disturbed. He sniffed the top of his shirt, but only scented his cologne and the subtler hints of sweat.

The old fox shrugged and turned back to the TV. "I don't know. You just smell…weird. Like a vixen. But it's not you, more like it's been rubbed on you. Anyway, could you not leave this crap on? I've had to watch this stupid channel all day!"

Naruto slowly shook his head and dialled the last few digits, bringing the receiver to his ear. Kyuubi would always be a mystery to him.

**TBC…**


	6. Chapter 6: Working Man

**Chapter Six: Working Man**

Naruto loved his job. He loved being able to do what he loved, he loved the art he was able to create, he loved the people he got to interact with but best of all: he _loved_ that he was his own boss.

He was his own master and although he appreciated his team's opinions and more often than not incorporated them, he didn't have to and that was amazing to him. If anything, he wanted to be free. Not even the paperwork and long hours could bring him down.

Currently, he was waiting [impatiently] for Haku to come out of make-up. He had arrived an hour before and after a quick chat Naruto had left him in the capable hands of his friend and employee, Yamanaka Ino. She specialised in doing make-overs, though Naruto often hired her to help with clothing and make-up for photo-shoots or events. She knew her stuff and he was always excited to work with her.

Even if she said orange wasn't a flattering colour. He knew deep, deep, _deep_ down she secretly loved it.

"All ready, dickless?"

Naruto maintained his happy expression though his eye twitched a bit. Turning, camera in hand, he greeted his sort-of-friend with an easy smile. "Hey, Sai. Thanks for helping out on such short notice."

He had met Sai later than his other friends, but that didn't mean he appreciated him less. Sure, they had a strained relationship sometimes, but that only meant he appreciated all the little things more. He had learned a lot of things since meeting Sai…things he had never had to think about before.

On a less depressing note, Sai created absolutely gorgeous art and Naruto had him on speed-dial for when he needed someone to help with shoots. They generally liked the same things and it was always fun to hear what he had to say.

Blinking a bit, he tilted his head to the side. Sakura-chan was right…

Sai smiled humourlessly, mirroring his gesture with something like curiosity. "Is something wrong?"

"No…you really do look like Uchiha, though."

"Uchiha Sasuke-kun?" Sai asked. "Yes, Sakura-chan and Ino-chan compare us a lot. A bit slow, no?"

He forced a laugh, eye twitching more visibly. "_Anyway_, I've set up everything and Haku-san should be out soon. Did you get the sketches I scanned in?"

"I looked them over," Sai said in false-cheer, heading towards where the computer had been plugged in. The camera was connected by a long cord and trailing over the ground, but unlike Naruto Sai practically danced over it and settled gracefully at the table. "I think 3 and 10 should be swapped around, however. Or 3 and 7."

"Do you think so?" he said thoughtfully, face scrunching up in thought as he stroked his non-existent beard. "They looked alright to me…but now that you mention it, I can see why. Hmm…yeah, let's swap them."

"Naruto?" Ino called, popping her head around the door to the dressing-room. "We have a little problem. Would you come take a look?"

Frowning, Naruto unhooked the camera from his neck and lay it carefully over the table. He followed Ino inside and gently shut the door behind him. "Wha—oh my god, what happened?!"

Haku looked absolutely gorgeous…from the neck down! His face was blotchy and red, eyes watering and blood-shot as if he had been chopping some really potent onions.

"It seems he's allergic to something in the mascara," one of Ino's assistants said. "We can take it off and give him something to settle it down, but since we don't know what he reacted to – and he says he doesn't know either – we can't put anything else on."

This was not good. Naruto had dealt with models who reacted badly to make-up before, but they normally knew what it could have been and they were only stalled a few hours. He ran a hand through his hair, unsure of what to do.

"I'm very sorry, Naruto-san!" Haku said sincerely, bowing his head. "This has never happened before…"

"Oh, don't apologise! We just need to think of an alternative…Ino-chan, I'll go ask Hinata-chan if she has any ideas. If you'll excuse me for a second."

"What's wrong?" Sai asked as soon as he exited, glancing up from a stack of paper that must have been the designs for the shoot. "Is the model ill?"

"There's something in the make-up that didn't he didn't react well to," Naruto shook his head. "I'll be back in a sec. Watch the equipment for me?"

Sai nodded and he smiled gratefully before heading out of the studio. He often rented empty rooms on the eighth floor when he was doing a private shoot – his employees were almost always using the studios on their floor and he didn't want to snag one and then have them get behind on their work. He waited a minute for the elevator to come before getting on and nodding to the delivery man inside.

"Oh, you're Uzumaki-san, right?" the man asked suddenly, glancing down at the box in his arms.

"Yes?" he said, surprised. "Is that for me?"

"Yes," the man looked relieved. "Look, I'm sorry about this but I'm in a rush and—"

"Don't worry about it," Naruto nodded, holding his hand out for the clipboard and pen they were required to carry. He scrawled his signature and took the box – it wasn't big, only about ten inches in length and half that in height. "Do you know what's in here?" He didn't remember ordering anything and all it said on the outside was the building address, floor and who it was supposed to go to.

"Sorry," the man said, looking sheepish. "My boss just told me to give it to you directly."

The elevator dinged and he said goodbye, tucking the box under his arm and heading across the floor. A few people said hello, but he others seemed to be engrossed in their work – as they should be. Hinata was at her desk as he expected, but busy on her phone at that moment. It was tucked between her ear and shoulder, manicured nails – French, perhaps? – tapping away at her keyboard.

"…next week, Wednesday? Yes, that is absolutely fine. Whatever you need shall be provided…yes, we do…okay…no, I'm afraid not…alright…"

He waited patiently for her to finish, saluting when she glanced up at him under her lashes. She smiled before focusing back on the person she was speaking with. It sounded like a man from where he stood, though he had been wrong before. That had been an awkward conversation with his mother.

"Hello, Naruto-kun. What can I do for you?" Hinata asked pleasantly after ending her call. "I thought you were doing that—oh, did something happen?"

"Yeah," he said sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck. "Haku had a bad reaction to the mascara, but he says he doesn't know why. Do you think you could help?"

She looked thoughtful, frowning a bit. "And he doesn't know what he reacted to?"

"Nope. And that brand is normally really good about that kind of thing…"

"Hm. I don't know, Naruto-kun. You could try something else…maybe skip it altogether? I saw him in – he has gorgeous eyes. You could just use some liquid eye-liner?"

"Do you think?" he said worriedly. "I suppose we could…who were you talking to, anyway?"

"Nakata Baki – he manages the _Suna no Sankyōdai_. They want to start discussing your collaboration as soon as possible – next week is fine for you, yes?"

"Of course!" he said, perking up. "Oh, I can't wait to meet them…"

"I'm sure they feel the same," Hinata said kindly, standing. "Come on, I'll help with Haku."

He blushed, "Oh, you don't—"

"Hush, I want to. Come along, come along. We don't have all day."

Naruto grinned and nodded. "Alright, just let me put this on my desk."

Hinata waved to show she had heard and continued towards the elevator. Naruto hummed to himself, opening his office-door and quickly putting the box on his cluttered desk. He had been working hard on his plans for the Uchihas' and it showed.

He frowned a little bit, once again wondering about the contents of the box before shaking his head. He'd open it later.

* * *

Thankfully, nothing else went wrong with the shoot. Naruto got Haku out onto the 'stage' and they spent the next few hours having an absolute blast. Haku was beautiful, but he was also witty and adorable and it was ridiculously easy to get along with him. He was also confident in himself and his body, something Naruto admired greatly.

They must have shot hundreds of photos. Haku changed outfits at least twenty times and had his make-up altered five. His hair mostly stayed the same – up in a bun with two long strands framing his face – except for one or two outfits where it was let completely loose and curled slightly to add a little bit of texture.

By the end, they were all exhausted but in a very satisfied way. Ino had a date so she headed out first, followed by her crew and then Hinata who had been watching. Sai may as well have left he was so quiet, the only indications of his presence being the soft brushes of his pencil as he sketched some of the poses Haku had done for reference.

"Thank you so much for doing this!" Naruto grinned, practically gushing. "It's been a while since such a promising model came through my doors!"

"It was a pleasure," Haku said, blushing prettily. "I should be thanking you, really. I've done some modelling in the past, but it was never as fun as today."

Naruto bowed gracefully, winking. "Well, how can I expect you to come back if you didn't have any fun?"

"You'd want me to come back?"

"Of course! If only for tea, if anything. Which reminds me: how about we get dinner sometime next week? I'd love to talk to you some more and it could be celebratory for a shoot well done!"

Haku looked surprised at his request and Naruto thought for sure he'd refuse before his expression softened and his eyes glimmered with something like affection. He smiled, looking up at him from under his lashes. "I'd love to, Naruto-san."

* * *

"Do you like it?"

Naruto blinked, pulling the phone away from his ear to stare at it before slowly putting it back. "Uh…" Oh! "You sent the box?"

"You haven't opened it yet?" Itachi sounded mildly surprised. "Why did you call then?"

He laughed, clearly picturing the other's expression. "I wanted to know if you wanted to get lunch. I've been busy all morning, so I haven't had the chance to check my email let alone find a Stanley knife and hack into the tape. Did you do that, by the way? There's like, ten layers."

"Wouldn't want someone else getting inside," he replied silkily. "And lunch sounds lovely. Shall I pick you up? We can go to that new place in town."

"That would be great," he said, relieved. "My car decided to die on me so I've had to take the train everywhere for the last two days."

"I'll be over in twenty," Itachi said, something like papers being shuffled crackling in the background. He waited a second for some kind of protest before continuing with: "That gives you plenty of time to 'hack into the tape'."

"See you," Naruto chuckled a bit as the line went dead. He put the receiver down and pulled the box into his lap, gently shaking it. Whatever was in there was very light. He started digging in his drawers, frowning a bit it when it looked like someone had borrowed his Stanley knife. He settled on using a letter opener and started 'hacking'. Eventually, he managed to get the damned thing open. He pulled back the flaps, raising his eyebrows when he was met with pure silk under a layer of bubble-rap. He put that aside for later.

Lifting the corner, his eyes widened almost comically. The breath seemed to leave his body in one giant _whoosh_, thoughts screeching to a halt.

It was made of smooth porcelain, ink as red as blood gently etched in tribal patterns. There was no doubt the mask was imitating a fox – the little pointy nose, the horizontal whiskers, the startled ears.

He didn't know whether to be scared or awed by the pure _magic_ that pulsed from it.

**TBC…**


End file.
